


Three Things That Never Happened to Taybur Sibigat

by misura



Category: Tricksters - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 00:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[what it says on the tin]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Things That Never Happened to Taybur Sibigat

.01

It was understood that there was a difference between flirting and courting - and that what he and Aly engaged in occasionally was the first, as the second would involve an amount of trust neither of them was willing or could afford to give the other.

Thus, he wasn't quite sure how she ended up kissing him on the bench with the nice view of the water pavilions, at a time when he was supposed to be watching the moon's eclipse.

"I would almost begin to think you find me fun after all."

She grinned up at him. "Almost?"

 

.02

He'd known letting Dunevon keep the strange creature to be a mistake from the moment he'd agreed to it, really. It hadn't so much been Aly's charm that had convinced him - or even the skill with which that charm had been applied.

It had been the sound of Dunevon laughing, right before he'd entered the room.

"Really, my lord, I don't know why you should think I know anything at all helpful to you."

Getting her to call him 'Taybur' would be a considerable victory. Tonight, he was willing - more than willing, to settle for a smaller one.

"I need it to go to sleep," he said. "Dunevon refuses to stay in bed as long as that thing is running around his room, and he needs his rest."

Aly frowned slightly. "Oh. Yes, I see how that might be a problem."

No 'my lord', this time, he noticed. "The easiest solution would be to remove the creature, of course."

He was almost completely sure that as long as he kept it in Dunevon's room, the creature would be of little use to her. He _was_ completely sure that it wouldn't deliberately try to harm Dunevon.

"Perhaps if you made it a little bed of its own ... ?"

"Do you truly think that might work?" He'd never get her to admit the creature was hers. That was one victory he wouldn't even attempt to win.

"It's worth a try, surely," she murmured, eyes demurely on her hands which were folded in her lap.

"Thank you."

 

.03

Together, the two men watched as the stormclouds gathered over Rajmuat Harbor, while the crew of the Tortallan ship went about making room for their new passengers.

"I spoke to at least five mages yesterday. All of them agreed it would be perfect weather today."

Beside the great ship, the smaller _Rittevon_ bobbed gentle in the waves. She was a fine little ship, Taybur reflected. A pity.

"S'pose they were right," Master Cooper replied easily. "Hard to sell a lethal shipwreck when there's barely a gust of wind, now, isn't it?" If the man knew there to be more to the uncanny change in weather than mere coincidence, he hid it well.

Not for the first time, Taybur wondered at the connection between Cooper and Aly. It was obvious there was one - it was in the way they moved, the way they carried themselves.

If these two were typical Tortallan agents, perhaps there was a bit more to the stories about the legendary Whisper Man than he'd always assumed.

"From that point of view, I suppose we got lucky."

Cooper grimaced. "Trust me: luck has had very little to do with this whole mess. It rarely does, when the gods get involved - especially when one of them owed you a favor."

"Past tense?"

"And good riddance, I say. Tell Aly her da sends his love next time you see her, will you?"


End file.
